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Glite Dictionary
pyramidion

pyramidion

1 9.9
A small stone shaped like a pyramid that sits on top of a tall stone column
  • noun
  • /ˌpɪrəˈmɪdiən/
  • Specialized
: piramidión
  • Archaeologists uncovered a beautifully decorated pyramidion that had been hidden for centuries.

Examples

  • The ancient Egyptians carefully placed a small pyramidion atop the obelisk as a finishing touch.

  • Restoration of the historic pyramid included crafting a new pyramidion to replace the missing capstone.

  • Leveraging lies until there are quadrillions of dollars of debt is the result of the application of science and technology to grow the social pyramid systems to benefit the pyramidion people operating those systems.

    Blog text (21)

  • The shape of the pyramid has been getting steeper and steeper, and the pyramidion top has sprouted a gusher fountain, or antenna, that shoots way up, beyond the stratosphere, into outer space.

    Blog text (9)

Surface Forms

pyramidion singular
pyramidions plural

Morphology

pyramidion = pyramid (semi-transparent) = pyramid + ion

The relation to 'pyramid' is clear, but the Greek-derived diminutive/nominal form and the specialized architectural meaning make the formation somewhat specialized rather than a fully productive English derivation.

Etymology

Pyramidion comes from the common word pyramid plus the ending -ion, which makes it a 'little' or small form, so you can think of it as a little pyramid. So a pyramidion is the small pyramid-shaped stone or cap put on top of a pyramid, obelisk, or pillar.